Breaking: Jean Bigirimana still alive, beaten and starving

Pieces of information persist pointing to the fact that journalist Jean Bigirimana may be detained in one of the National Intelligence Service’s cells in Muramvya province. This contradicts the enduring denial by the Burundian police that the intelligence service detains the journalist. Our sources say that “he has been extremely beaten and is starving”. Those revelations are close to the results of an investigation by Iwacu that has shown that the journalist’ last known whereabouts was Bugarama, a few kilometres from Muramvya province capital. To date, the police have kept silence despite multiple appeals by Iwacu to help locate him.

Iwacu Press Group requests an immediate intervention of the chairman of the Independent National Commission on Human Rights (CNIDH) before it is too late. “I urge the CNIDH to inspect dungeons of the Intelligence Service in Muramvya to try and save our journalist. There is no much time left”, says Antoine Kaburahe, Iwacu Publications Manager.

He also appealed to human rights and freedom of speech organizations to take action because the journalist’s life is at stake.

As for Iwacu, the chief of the intelligence service in Muramvya will be personally held accountable for what will happen to our journalist Jean Bigirimana.